


One Night

by voltarrrrr



Category: Starlight Express - Phillips/Stilgoe/Webber
Genre: Angst and Tragedy, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Sad Ending, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2019-06-26 22:36:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15672666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voltarrrrr/pseuds/voltarrrrr
Summary: There is a point when Caboose is unable to hide his feelings for a certain diesel engine anymore.





	One Night

It was a perfectly normal day when Lube was skating around the shed, trying to find someone to spend time with.  
His brothers and most of the other diesels were out at work and he definitely didn't want to annoy his boss, Greaseball, by asking him to spend time with him. He would say no anyway and Lube understood this. It was his day off so it's fair to say he wanted to relax a bit on his own.  
Still thinking about who to talk to now, Lube realised that Greaseball wasn't the only one who had a day off.  
With a brief moment of hesitation, he decided to head to one of the small room-like parts of the shed where a certain red caboose has been living for quite a while now due to having a hard time to find a place to stay after the final and his boss kind of pitied him so he offered him to live in the huge diesel shed.  
Just as the young diesel was about to enter Caboose's room, he could hear a weird sound coming from inside. Lube paused? What was it?  
He stayed quiet and once again there was something like.. a sob?  
Without thinking twice, Lube opened the door and what he saw let him held his breath for a moment.  
Caboose sat on the floor. Legs hugged to his lean body. Cheeks puffy and eyes burning red.  
"Get. Out." CB hissed weakly, once he realised somebody entered his personal space. He didn't care who it was. He just wanted to be alone.  
"B-but-" Lube tried but was cut off by a dangerous glare coming from the other. He instantly followed orders and left the room, making sure to close the door behind him.  
Once he left he could hear a heartbreaking sob again, which made him furrow his brows in worry.  
Why was Caboose crying? He didn't even know that was an emotion the brake van was capable of! All the diesel has seen him do was smiling like an idiot so this was completely confusing.  
Lube was concerned about CB's wellbeing nonetheless and decided it would be best to inform his boss about the situation.  
"He was what?" Greaseball asked in disbelief, after the other diesel told him about what happened earlier on.  
"Are you sure, we're talking about the same CB?"  
He raised his eyebrows.  
"Yes, boss. He seemed to be really hurt and also a bit broken..." Lube mumbled and hoped GB wouldn't be all too annoyed by his presence.  
"Oh well.." The locomotive appeared to be clearly gauchely with the whole situation. "And.. what am I supposed to do now? It's not like I can order him to stop crying."  
He paused.  
"Well, actually I could do that, couldn't I?" he mumbled to himself and seemed to think about a solution.  
"I thought.. maybe you could just check on him. I'm sure, he'd appreciate that."  
"And what in Starlight's name, makes you think I would even want to check on that small trouble maker?"  
Greaseball had a point and Lube didn't know what to answer. He lowered his head in shame, not wanting to look his boss in his eyes. He knew he shouldn't have bothered him with this situation and yet he did.  
"Fine." Greaseball suddenly sighed. "I'll check on him if you're that worried about him."  
the young diesel couldn't believe his ears. Was GB really going to do all of this for him?  
A light smile crossed his face: "Thank you, boss."  
"Whatever. Now see if you can grab some new oil while I check on that douche."  
Lube instantly did as he was told, knowing GB would take care from now on.  
"Hey CB!" Greaseball shouted, knocking on the caboose's door in a not so gentle way. No reply came and he almost wanted to head back to his own room and pretend nothing happened, when a dulled voice could be heard.  
"What?"  
"Can I come in?" he asked and a low sigh escaped the diesel's mouth. Now he was past the point of no return.  
Once again silence occurred and the locomotive got annoyed. His patience was pretty low in general so he just decided to enter the room.  
"CB, I-" Greaseball abruptly stopped to speak when he saw the other sitting on the floor, staring at him with tears flooding from his eyes.  
"Oh." was everything the diesel could get out in this moment.  
The brake van quickly made sure to hide his face in shame.  
"Please, don't look at me!" he sobbed desperately, just curling himself up even more.  
Greaseball awkwardly stood there. He didn't know what to do.  
What was he supposed to do?  
Comfort him? Let him be?  
Why was he crying like this anyway?  
This still was Caboose, right..?  
"Are you...okay?" the diesel asked, slowly skating towards the slim figure on the ground and carefully squatting beside him.  
"W-what do you think it looks like, you clever e-engine..?" CB spat back, trying to sound somehow evil but it just turned out to sound extremely heart broken.  
Greaseball really tried to stay calm.  
"Yeah but.. what is it?" he asked, rubbing his temples.  
A brief moment of silence occurred. Only CB'S heavy breathing was noticeable.  
"Why do you care anyway..?" the van asked quietly.  
"Well you're living in my shed and you kind of scared one of my boys so I had to check on you, you know?!" GB answered but the other didn't seem satisfied with that.  
"Yeah. Of course. You had to. What else could it be.." the red caboose mumbled, rubbing his burning red eyes and slowly turning his face to the locomotive.  
He wouldn't admit it but the engine was shook about the way Caboose looked. He had never seen him like this. He already saw him beaten up but even then the van had a creepy smile plastered on his face. This was just... a strange thing to see!  
Silence occurred once again with the two males staring at each other awkwardly.  
Suddenly Caboose reached forward with his hand, gently placing it on Greaseball's cheek who tensed up under the, not expected, touch but didn't make any attempt to refuse it, just staring at the other with a questioning look on his face.  
CB's face seemed emotionless while he gently stroked the diesel's skin with his thumb but the bigger engine could clearly see the hurt in his eyes.  
GB wasn't exactly sure why he allowed the smaller one to touch him like this but it felt kinda good in an odd way even if he would never admit that.  
"It's so unfair..." the brake van mumbled. "She gets everything and I?"  
He let go of the diesel and turned his face away.  
"Who? What do you mean?"  
Greaseball was obviously confused.  
"Dinah."  
"Dinah?"  
"Yes, Dinah."  
"I don't understand. Stop making such a fuss, CB!"  
"A fuss?!"  
"I haven't spoken to Dinah in months. Our relationship is over. I'm done with her. Geez, Caboose."  
With big eyes the brake van glanced at the diesel. Was he--?  
"You aren't.....?"  
"No. Our relationship ended as fast as it started again after the championship."  
A sigh escaped the engine's mouth and with an emotionless expression he stared at nothing in particular.  
"I'm sorry..." Caboose surprisingly whispered, lowering his head which made Greaseball raise an eyebrow? Did he just say sorry? Wow, there really was something wrong with him.  
"See.. I'd like to have some time for myself. This is still my day off. So if everything's okay now, I'll leave."  
Heaving himself off from the ground again, the diesel was about to leave the room when the other spoke up.  
"Please."  
"What do you want, CB?" GB groaned and turned around once more.  
"You."  
"What?!"  
"Be mine for one night."  
As if he couldn't believe what he had just heard, he stared at the freight on the ground and it actually took him a moment to reply.  
"No."  
"Please. Just one night."  
"No, Caboose." His voice was audibly getting more angry.  
"I'll promise to be gone tomorrow if you agree to this. You won't have to see--"  
"I SAID NO!" Greaseball cried and immediately left the room, leaving a sad looking caboose behind.  
It was at the same day's night when a certain diesel engine found himself restless, shuffling around in his bed and desperately trying to find some sleep. It was senseless. The earlier situation with CB wouldn't disappear out of his mind. The point came where he just couldn't stay in bed anymore. With a groan he stood up and quietly skated over to the brake van's room. He slipped through the door and made sure to close it behind him. The room was dark. One couldn't see a thing.  
"G-greaseball...?" Caboose's surprised voice could be heard in the darkness. The engine wondered how the other knew that it was him but was too occupied with trying to find his bed to question it. Without a word GB heaved himself on the bed which caused the caboose to let out a surprised squeak.  
"Be quiet or I will leave."  
The diesel's voice was deep and intimidating. Like usual.  
"But why--"  
Caboose couldn't finish his sentence before lips were roughly placed on his, starting a heated kiss. Without just a hint of hesitation, CB kissed him back, immediately grabbing on to the other, desperately pulling himself closer. This was everything he ever wanted. Everything he fighted for over all these years he had known the diesel. It took them a while to part again but they eventually got in need of air.  
"This stays between us, CB." Greaseball spoke and went in for another kiss, holding the freight's hips. Caboose got what he wanted. He got his love. For one night. And one only. And what did Greaseball get? A good one night stand? The satisfaction to make another happy? He didn't know. He didn't even know why he did in the first place. Was it stupid? Should he regret it? That question could be answered when he woke up the next morning, laying in a bed that wasn't his. Reminded of what he did last night, the diesel sat up with a sigh only to realise that a certain brake van wasn't there. Furrowing his brows, GB got up and slowly skated through the shed. Where did the other go?  
"Oh boss, you're awake!"  
A smiling Gook, skated towards the bigger diesel with a knowing look on his face.  
"Where is CB?"  
"He went about an hour ago. Told me to give you this when you're awake."  
Gook proudly handed the engine a letter which only got suspiciously looked at by GB.  
It took him a moment but realisation quickly overcame him.  
"He... left?"  
"Yup.  
"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP HIM?!" he suddenly furiously shouted, making the gang member back away in fear.  
"I-I-I don't kn-know..?"  
"FUCK."  
With a totally stressed expression the engine skated into his room, slamming the door shut behind him. He opened the letter with trembling hands only to find a simple piece of paper. One sentence written on it.

'I told you: One night and I'll be gone, you won't have to see me again.

CB.'

Did Greaseball regret the last night?  
Yes. Yes he did.  
Why?  
........... He didn't know.


End file.
